In resentencing Anthony Demar Williams to 18 months to 15 years in prison, Kalamazoo County Circuit Judge Alexander C. Lipsey granted a motion filed by County Prosecutor Jeff Getting seeking to have Williams serve a prison term for third-degree criminal sexual conduct.

“The statute and case law being what it is, the court believes that resentencing is, in fact, appropriate,” Lipsey said.

During the March 10 sentencing, Lipsey granted a request by Williams’ attorney, Geoffrey Upshaw, to depart downward from sentencing guidelines in the case. In doing so, Lipsey outlined substantial and compelling reasons for the departure, including Williams’ support network in the community, his low risk for reoffending and his good behavior while under supervision of the Office of Community Corrections.

Getting’s office filed the motion to correct an invalid sentence on March 11 and argued that Williams’ sentence did not comply with state law, which prohibits a court from sentencing a defendant to probation for first-degree and third-degree criminal sexual conduct, among other offenses.

Upshaw said Monday that prosecutors were correct in asserting that state law prohibited Lipsey from placing Williams on probation, however argued that Lipsey could still resentence Williams to a straight jail sentence without probation.

However, Assistant Prosecutor Alexis Sanford cited case law that she said would make a straight jail sentence invalid.

Williams was charged in August following an investigation by Kalamazoo Township police. Investigators alleged Williams invited the female student to his apartment while his wife was not home. The girl told police Williams forced her into sex during the visit.

Last summer, the girl told a social worker she was pregnant. Police investigated Williams because Michigan law forbids any school employee from having a sexual relationship with a student under 18 in that school district.

Williams, who began working as a security guard at Loy Norrix in January 2013, was terminated from his job on April 25, 2013.

Rex Hall Jr. is a public safety reporter for the Kalamazoo Gazette. You can reach him at rhall2@mlive.com. Follow him on Twitter.